International Men’s Day: It’s Time to Rethink How We Talk About Men’s Mental Health

Written by Gus Worland, Founder of Gotcha4Life

Seven out of nine people who die by suicide each year are men. Let that sink in. Seven out of nine.

Those aren’t just numbers – they’re fathers, brothers, sons, mates. They’re people who have touched lives and communities, gone too soon because the support wasn’t there, or the conversations didn’t happen soon enough. I’ve seen the aftermath. I’ve felt the grief. And it broke me in ways I didn’t fully understand at the time.

That became the reason for building Gotcha4Life. I wanted to create a world where everyone has a mate they can rely on, someone they can open up to without fear. A place where asking for help is normal, where honest conversations about life’s challenges are part of everyday life.

Here’s the truth: we can’t stop life's inevitable ups and downs. We can’t stop grief, loss or disappointment. But we can control how we respond every day. We can choose to break down the stigma that 'boys don't cry' and instead make help-seeking normal – not shameful. 

It’s not easy. I get it. Talking about grief, stress or mental health struggles isn’t simple. It’s messy and uncomfortable. But every time I share my story, I’m reminded that someone, somewhere, is listening. And that simple act of sharing can be the difference between someone feeling hopeless and someone feeling seen.

This International Men’s Day is about celebrating men and boys – but if we want to celebrate our men, we have to start by supporting our boys. That means teaching them, from the earliest age, that emotions aren’t weakness. The belief that men should just ‘man up’ has done enough damage. It’s time to throw that mindset in the bin and start teaching that real strength comes from reaching out, not staying silence.

At Gotcha4Life, that’s where our focus lies. Prevention starts long before adulthood – in our schools, our family homes, and our communities. Through our Mentally Fit Primary Schools program we are helping our young people grow into adults who know how to check in with a mate, express how they’re feeling and reach out when life gets tough. Because if we can give the next generation the language and tools to talk about their mental fitness early on, we can start to change those statistics for good.

On this International Men’s Day, I challenge every man to do something simple but radical: reach out. Check in with a mate, talk to a father, hug a brother, ask how someone’s really doing – and mean it. 

I won’t stop until we reach one goal: zero suicides. And the best way to honour International Men’s Day is to start now – by being a mate who listens, who checks in and who acts.

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